ROYAL AIR FORCE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23353, 19 November 1937, Page 10

ROYAL AIR FORCE

EXTENSION OF SERVICE SEVENTEEN new planes ANNOUNCEMENT BY MINISTER (Per United Press Association) CHRISTCHURCH. Nov, 18. The increasing attention being paid by the Defence Department to building un the Royal New Zealand Air Force is indicated by the decision of the Government to purchase another 17 Blackburn Baffin aeroplanes Making this announcement tonight. the Minister of Defence (Mr F. Jones) said that these machines would be additional to the 12 already on order The 17 machines which it had iust been decided to purchase were recently placed unSer offer to the New Zealand Government by the British War Office, he said. They were tc be used for training territorials in various Dominion centres. They had done very little flying and were reported to be in excellent condition. They were very similar in performance to the Vickers Vildebeest bombers at nresent in the Dominion. The Minister added that the new machines were mostly suitable for training purposes, reconnaissance and anti-submarine work. The first shipment of the original order of Blackburn Baffin aeroplanes would Delivery of the remaining machines Delivery of the remaining machine now on order would be effected some time next year, when the total number of this type of aeroplane available for training of territorials would be brought up to 29.